West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell played for the Rangpur Riders in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) less than 24 hours after featuring for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders against the Dubai Capitals in the International League T20 (ILT20) in the UAE.
He flew to Dhaka for the playoff match after Abu Dhabi Knight Riders finished at the bottom of the standings. In the February 2 match against the Dubai Capitals, Russell was dismissed for a duck by Dushmanta Chameera and did not bowl.
Following the 26-run loss to the Sam Billings-led side, which ended their campaign, Russell was available for the BPL Eliminator between Rangpur Riders and Khulna Tigers. However, Russell’s performance was underwhelming once again, as Mohammad Nawaz dismissed him for just four runs off seven balls.
Rangpur Riders were bowled out for a meager 85, and the Tigers comfortably chased down the target with nine wickets in hand, eliminating the Riders from the competition. The demanding schedules of freelance cricketers have been widely discussed in recent times, and Sri Lanka all-rounder Dasun Shanaka found himself in a similar situation to Andre Russell.
On February 2, Shanaka played a first-class match in Colombo for the Sinhalese Sports Club, scoring a century in the morning. Immediately after the game, he flew to Dubai and played a key role in the Dubai Capitals’ victory over the Knight Riders with a crucial cameo.
Andre Russell Struggles in ILT20 2025 Campaign for KKR’s Sister Franchise
Andre Russell was retained by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the 2025 Indian Premier League (IPL) mega auction. Despite concerns over his age and injury history, he was included in the retention list, contrary to previous reports.
Russell had a disappointing 2024 T20 World Cup campaign on home soil and struggled in the ILT20 season as well. He managed only 130 runs in 10 innings, with a strike rate of 156.61 and an average of 18.57, marking another forgettable season for the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders.
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